Cup (of Emotion) Runs Over

`Dreams Are Last To Die,' Says Fetisov

For years Fetisov toiled for the Soviet Union's famed Red Army team, helping it win two Olympic gold medals, seven world championships and one Canada Cup. Then Fetisov helped pave the way for Russian players to join the National Hockey League.

Finally, Saturday night, Gramps got to carry a 35-pound trophy called the Stanley Cup with fellow Russian Igor Larionov, and an exclamation point was placed on the defenseman's stellar 22-year career, the last eight in the NHL.

"I'll never forget this moment the rest of my life," Fetisov said after the Detroit Red Wings had beaten the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 to capture their first Cup in 42 years. "Not many people believed I could finally get this Cup under my belt. But I said to myself it's a dream that is going to last, and I chased this dream and got great support."

It truly was a tremendous team effort by the Red Wings as they ripped through four rounds of the playoffs by winning 16 of 20 games. Goaltender Mike Vernon, whose playoff goals-against average was an outstanding 1.76, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. But the award easily could have gone to Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, Larry Murphy, Slava Kozlov, Nicklas Lidstrom, Martin Lapointe or Larionov. And the defense, led by Konstantinov, Lidstrom and Fetisov, was magnificent.

"My teammates were unbelievable," said Fetisov.

When it came time for the Detroit players to carry the Cup around Joe Louis Arena, captain Yzerman was the obvious first choice. He then handed off to Fetisov and Larionov.

"The last couple days, I tried not to think about anything but the game, but a million things are running through your mind," said Yzerman. "One thing I thought was who (to) hand the Cup off to, and I thought of a few different players. But Slava jumped to my mind because of what he has done, him and Igor, what kind of guys they are. I really respect what they have done and how they have handled themselves. They have set an example in their work ethic and their attitude for the young Russian players, and they have been real leaders on our team."

And now Fetisov, 39, and Larionov, 36, will have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup along with fellow Russians Fedorov, Kozlov and Konstantinov. Their dream, the same dream of countless Detroit fans who had waited since 1955 for this moment, had become reality.

"I never thought never," said Fetisov. "When we lost to Colorado in the third round last year, I saw that Igor was very upset. I said, `Dreams are the last to die. We have to stay positive, and if we stay positive, we can do it.' "